Baunatal VO Cup: 57 teams fight for children with cancer!

Baunatal VO Cup: 57 teams fight for children with cancer!

There was a lot of activity in Baunatal last weekend when the traditional VO Cup took place again. 57 teams from the international Volkswagen family competed not only to show sporting spirit, but also to make an important contribution to children with cancer and people with disabilities. The aim of the event was to collect an impressive 800,000 euros in donations HNA reported.

With midsummer temperatures over 30 degrees, the atmosphere was great. Patrick Schuhmacher led the event as moderator, while Imelda Labbé, the former VW board member and patron of the event, highlighted the important cause of the cup. A donation of 3,000 euros for the opening was presented by State Secretary Manuela Strube, who highly praised the commitment of the Baunatal VW factory family. Mayor Henry Richter was also active when he supported the OTLG team in beach volleyball.

Sporting highlights

The building yard of the city of Baunatal took over the organization and construction of the tournament. A special highlight was the premiere of the “Health Care Run”, in which participants ran up to ten laps around the city park. This event is part of a global series that originally began in Bratislava, Slovakia in mid-May with approximately 500 employees. Dr. Lars Neighbor, Head of Volkswagen Group Health Care, expressed his delight at the return of large events that were missed for so long following Covid restrictions. Up to 20,000 participants are expected worldwide.

Christian Vollmer, member of the Volkswagen brand's board of directors for production, supports the initiative and will take part in the run in Wolfsburg himself. Following the event in Baunatal, the series ends at the end of June in Anchieta, Brazil, where the polo is manufactured for the South American market. What's special: Volkswagen calculates a donation based on the total distance the employees cover during the run as part of the “a chance to play” project. This initiative aims to create better educational and living conditions for disadvantaged children and young people.

Shared commitment

Scholtyssek, the chairman of the VO Cup, hopes for continued cooperation in order to further strengthen the commitment not only to the good cause, but also to the community. Since 1997, the VO Cup has already raised an impressive 750,000 euros. A regular form of donation, the remaining cent donation, enables employees to donate the remaining amounts of their payroll to social projects every month. In 2022, over 1.1 million euros were collected to provide support to disadvantaged children and young people worldwide, the company reports with regard to its social responsibility.

Traditionally, “schnitzel and large beer” is served at the end of the VO Cup, which perfectly rounds off the convivial atmosphere. This shows that sport, fun and charity go hand in hand in Baunatal - a beautiful tradition that lives on from year to year.